RE-Fresh: Nike Air More Uptempo (1996)

In our third bi-monthly feature called Re-Fresh, we go back to the mid 90s to celebrate sneaker worn one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, Scottie Pippen. After delving into two models from many years agoâ€”the 1972 Blazer and the 1984 Vandal Supremeâ€”we fast forward to a time when Nike Basketball sneakers dominated both the hardwood and the streets. Whereas the Blazer and Vandal Supreme were worn by entire teams, (like the 1977 Portland Trailblazers who faithfully wore the Blazer as part of their uniform) the sneaker world began to drift towards player signature models. In 1996, Scottie didn’t have his own signature line yet, but the Air More Uptempo became the shoe synonymous with one of the game’s great defenders.

Pippen spent the majority of his career in the shadow of the man whose sneakers and on-court performances were second to none. And while Pippen didn’t rack up the stats that Jordan did, he is considered by many to be one of the game’s greatest defenders. Pippen has the record for career assists and career steals for a forward, and he also holds the season record for steals by a forward. The six-time World Champion made the playoffs 16 straight seasons, and he was an integral part of each of those teams. It’s no surprise to anyone that he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame last year, which cements his legacy of one of the greats. In 1996, the same year that he was honored as one of the game’s 50 greatest players, during the early part of the season, he wore our featured sneaker, the Air More Uptempo, and its bold styling turned heads across the league and found its way onto the feet of ballers and hustlers around the world.